Pheonix Rising
by Lira
Summary: An AU fic. OZ has a secret super-soldier known as the Pheonix that could quite possibly mean the destruction of the gundam pilots... Hey, everyone! I decided to keep updating my fic here on Lira's account as well as on my own!
1. The Pheonix Project

Pheonix Rising   
_by Ratha_

_Prologue: The Pheonix Project_

_Memories never die, they only fade until you need them most. They can't be suppressed forever, they come back to haunt you at the most inopportune times. They have a life of their own, and they refuse to let your humanity be destroyed. You can never lose them, for they are always there, sleeping in the back of your mind for all time. And they are waiting to destroy the cold-blooded killers known as gundam pilots..._

_Five young men lost their humanity for the cause of peace and freedom. The price seemed right for the end result, but Fate has other plans for them. Events have been set in motion that will have startling and dramatic results on the lives of these five gundam pilots. Watch as these events unfold and the hardened warriors are replaced by human beings..._   


* * *

  
_Two years before Operation: METEOR..._

Treize Khushrenada and Zechs Marquise stood in the observation room of Lab 476-B, watching the OZ scientists work diligently on the latest secret weapon.

"With this 'super-soldier', OZ will be triumphant in every battle," Treize said with a vague smile. "Imagine- a soldier that can predict their enemy's every move, every thought, actually being able to read an enemy's mind and instantly counterattack the enemy's every plan."

"It sounds like a sound plan, Lord Treize," Zechs replied. "But are you sure it will prevent the colonies from rebelling?"

"I doubt it. The Pheonix Project won't be ready for another year. By then, we'll have the Pheonix suit prototype ready for testing as well."

"The most powerful telepath in the universe," Zechs mused. "And OZ has that power at its disposal. The colonies won't have a chance."

"Indeed. The Pheonix Project will be ready long before the rumored Operation: Meteor. If it is successful, you will be in charge of the Pheonix, Liuetenant Zechs."

"You honor me, Lord Treize."   


* * *

  
_Operation: METEOR...___

"Now try again, Pheonix," Zechs sighed, massaging his temples in exasperation. "Try to sense the enemies."

The young woman shook her head. "I can't, Liuetenant. The Leo pilots have natural mind sheilds. It's like hitting a brick wall at sixty miles an hour. I'm sorry, Liuetenant." She bowed her head dejectedly.

He sighed again. "Try something else, then. Can you control a Leo suit with your powers?"

She didn't respond. Instead, her eyes glowed an unnatural blue-green and a nearby Leo suit slowly began to move. A thin sheen of sweat covered her skin as she concentrated on moving the Leo suit. Gradually, the mobile suit's movements became less jerky and more fluid. Abruptly, she vanished right before Zechs' eyes. He blinked in shock, then looked up at the MS.

"Pheonix?" he called warily.

"Present," her voice said over the MS' comm-system. "_Sugoi!_ I didn't know I could teleport! I-" She abruptly reappeared in front of Zechs, frowning darkly. "I sense a _real_ enemy. About two hundred kliks south, ETA thirty minutes."

"Oh? What enemy?"

Her eyes glowed again. "Gundam pilots. Operation: METEOR has begun."


	2. Mission...Botched

Pheonix Rising   
_by Ratha_

_Part One: Mission...Botched_

"The mission is to destroy the OZ base and obtain the data fields about the secret soldier known as the Pheonix," Heero announced.

"Of course," Duo nodded. The two pilots were seated in their gundams, awaiting the signal for takeoff. The image of Heero on Duo's vid-link was slightly fuzzy, but acceptable. Eager to be off, Duo was practically bouncing in his seat. "Since we know what to do, can't we go now?"

"Not until Quatre gives the thumbs up," was the vaguely reprimanding reply.

Duo blew a raspberry at him. "Picky, picky, picky. You are a royal pain in the ass, you know that?"

"So are you," was Heero's deadpan response.

Quatre's laughter came over the audio link. "Okay, you two! You've got a hole in satellite coverage now. It'll last 8 minutes, so get moving. Radio in at 500 hours tomorrow."

"Gotcha. Woohoo! The Shinigami rides again!" Duo gunned the thrusters and shot up into the air, briefly relaying the message as Heero followed him toward space. "Let's go kick some Leo ass!"

"Hn," was Heero's only reply before they entered the blackout stage of takeoff and Heero's image vanished from the screen.   


* * *

  
"There are two of them coming, Lieutenant," said a slightly amused, vaguely distant voice. "I can sense them."

"Which two, Pheonix?" asked the lieutenant, a man with a commanding presence.

"Now, Lieutenant, that would take all the work out of it. Not to mention the fun," laughed the voice. "Besides I can't tell which two. They're still too far away."

"I see. Very well. Are you sure your plan will work?"

"If one of the pilots is who I think he is, he'll never suspect me until it's too late."

"Good. Get to your station and be ready to set your plan in motion."

"Yes, Lieutenant." The Pheonix laughed and unnaturally blue-green eyes glowed in the darkness of the shadows hiding the Pheonix. _*It just won't be the plan you expect, Lieutenant.*_   


* * *

  
"So what's the fuss about this Pheonix, Heero?" Duo asked as they stealthily flew toward the base.

"It's rumored the Pheonix is both the ultimate warrior and the ultimate weapon."

"I thought that was you."

"No, the Pheonix is _much_ worse. A telepath, the most powerful in the known universe."

"Tele-what?"

"Telepath. Psychic. Mind reader. Get the picture?"

"Bright and clear. Man, and OZ has that kinda power on their side? We're dead if we don't take out the Pheonix!" Duo spotted a Leo suit heading their way. "Forget stealth! If what you said's true, they already know we're coming!"

There was silence from Heero's side.

"Ya never considered that, didja?"

"No."

"Heh. Some Perfect Soldier." Duo turned to face the approaching mobile suit. "I'm the God of Death! Anyone who sees me has got a date with his maker!"

"God of Idiots, you mean."

"Look who's talking, Heero! Yahoo!" He shot toward the Leo, beam scythe blazing as he laughed maniacally. After destroying the Leo, Duo continued for the base.

Heero appeared on the screen. "There will be havoc around here soon. You know what to do."

Duo saluted with a cocky smirk. "Sure do, Heero. Just keep 'em busy for a while."

Heero remained expressionless and Duo wondered if Heero's gundam would be more responsive. "You have twenty minutes, or I will assume you dead or captured."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Duo muttered as he jetted away. "On the flip side, then." He briefly noted a collection of Leos converging on Heero, but ignoring himself. Strange...He shrugged and headed toward the base.

He expected his main problem to be docking, but to his shock, he found a docking bay open, almost as if waiting for him.

"Either it's my lucky night or someone set a trap for us." He scanned the area and found nothing unusual. "Huh. Some poor soldier's gonna be blamed for this, but ya take what you can get." He grinned and docked the Deathscythe.

The necessary supplies for the mission were scattered in the few spare places in the cockpit. He set to casting about, locating his gun, several ZIP disks, a package of explosives, and naturally his black cap, which he pulled down onto his head and over his eyes with a vigorous tug. He checked his watch: 14 minutes, 38 seconds before he was "dead or captured." Duo smirked. A cinch. Then he was suddenly hit by a wave of dizziness so severe he had to lean against the door of the cockpit.

"Aw, man. I better not be getting sick or something now."

When it passed, he rushed down the halls, holding his gun in a loose grip, ready to raise it in an instant. He soon found himself in front of Lab 476-B. Now to get in. He picked the lock and he prepared to fire his gun as the door slid open.

"Huh?" he said, staring in baffled shock at the empty room, his gun lowering. "What gives? Where's everyone?"

No time for that now. He had to get the Pheonix data. He moved to the computer and began typing furiously. He soon found the information, getting through the firewall and the other security programs. Downloading the data, he looked at his watch again. 6 minutes and 20 seconds left. Still plenty of time. All he had to do now was-

_"Uhhnnn..." _a voice moaned.

Duo jumped and looked for the source of the unexpected noise. His jaw dropped nearly to his knees at what he saw.

Bound to one of the tables was a young woman who looked no older than himself. She had long black hair framing her pale face, which was covered with purplish bruises. A thin white tanktop and shorts were all that covered her, bruises and cuts were visible on her arms and legs. She was a pitiful sight.

Duo hesitated. He wanted to help her, but something urged him not to. He glanced at the time again. 5 minutes, 40 seconds. Screw common sense. He moved to the table and pulled out a knife, slicing through her bonds. Lucky she was unconscious. He looked around and grabbed a spare lab coat, then wrapped it around her and lifted her off the table.

"Hold it right there!" barked a voice from the doorway.

"Oops." Duo eyed the burly-looking OZ soldier who was aiming a gun at him. "Uh...Can you tell me where your superior is?"

The soldier looked baffled, giving Duo time to shoot him.

"Are all OZ soldiers that stupid?" Duo chuckled and carried the girl into the hall. "Now to get outta here! I dunno who you are, Miss, but I guess I'm stuck with you now. Hang on, 'cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

He ran down the halls toward the docking bay, pausing only long enough to set the explosives. He reached his gundam and ran into a problem. How was he going to get the mysterious girl into the cockpit?

It was that moment she chose to regain consciousness. "Ohhh," she moaned, her eyes blinking open. "Who...what...?" She looked up at him in confusion and fear. "Who are you? What's going on?"

"Later, babe. We gotta get outta here before OZ finds us. Can you walk?"

"I-I think so. Are you an enemy of OZ?"

"Yup. Come on." He set her on her feet and helped her climb into the cockpit. "Buckle up in that spare seat and get ready to rock! We're blasting outta here!"

She quickly obeyed and let out a startled shriek of laughter as the gundam leapt into motion.

Duo grinned and zeroed in on a huge pack of Leo suits heading their way. _"ORE WA SHINIGAMI!" _he laughed maniacally and blasted toward the approaching Leos. The screen erupted with green light as the God of Death sliced his way through the defenseless Leos and away from the base. "Here, babe! You do the honors!" He tossed the detonation device over his shoulder to the girl. "Push the button to turn the base into a big hole in the ground!"

There was a brief silence, then the click of the button being pushed.

Immediately the sky blossomed in red, yellow, and orange bursts as the huge OZ base exploded in brilliant colors. Duo grinned and pushed the "Comm01" button to contact Heero.

"Yo, Heero! Let's jet!"

There was no reply. Only static and snowy spots reigned where there should have been an image of Heero.


	3. Defection

_Hi, minna! Here's part 2! I'd like to thank ShadowHawk for allowing me to use his character Id in my story! I was totally shocked that someone would actually want to help me with one of my fics! Thank you, ShadowHawk for your assistance with Id and plot ideas for the fic!_

* * *

  
Pheonix Rising   
_by Ratha_

_Part Two: Defection_

"Heero? _HEERO!_" Duo shouted into the comm.

No response.

"Oh shit," Duo muttered as the fun drained out of the situation and he began slicing a path through the mobile suits furiously. "Shit shit shit shit shit..."

The girl was silent behind him, watching the screen intently as he cleared a rather large cluster of Leos blocking his way with a single blow. The Wing ZERO was revealed. Duo felt his chest tighten with dread and the girl gasped softly in shock. Wing ZERO was badly damaged; the motions were jerky, the beam sword flickering in and out of existence. With agonizing slowness, the huge head turned toward the Deathscythe. Duo smiled slightly in relief. Of course Heero was still fighting. Of course. Nothing stopped _him_.

Another wave of dizziness washed over Duo, but he ruthlessly fought it off. No time for that now. Gripping the controls a bit tighter, he thrust toward the Wing ZERO, cutting down Leos along the way. "I'm comin', I'm comin'," he muttered as he approached. "Just hang on a little longer-"

It was in vain. A Leo performed a kamikaze on the damaged gundam. With the slow responses of his gundam, Heero didn't get the beam sword around fast enough, and the Leo crashed into the chest of the much larger Wing, exploding on impact. The Wing was flung backwards...and did nothing.

_"NOOOOO!"_ Duo screamed when the Wing ZERO remained motionless. But before he could do anything, something hit the back of his head forcefully and darkness engulfed him.   


* * *

  
The girl grabbed the comm and shouted, "This is soldier 1934! Stop your attack at once!"

The Leos immediately stopped.

"I have immobilized the pilot of this gundam. Maintain your positions until further orders."

"Yes, Commander," one of the Leo pilots replied. It was the only red Leo in the group.

The girl winced. _Id. Damn! How am I going to avoid him?_ She closed the comm-link. "OZ is so gullible," she muttered, then dragged the unconscious Duo out of his seat. She strapped him into the seat she'd been in, then took the pilot's seat. Gripping the controls, she turned the gundam toward the Leos and reopened the comm-link. "Id, tell Lieutenant Zechs I have a message for him: I QUIT!" She gunned the thrusters and shot toward the startled Leos, slicing them down before they could react, leaving only the red Leo untouched. "Now get out of here, Id. I don't want to have to kill you, too."

"This is treason, Commander," the pilot growled. "You WILL face death for this."

"No shit, Id. Now get lost before I _make_ you leave!"

The Leo suit silently turned and jetted away.

The girl nodded curtly and turned toward the downed gundam, briefly noting the warning lights on the Deathscythe's controls.

"Damn, a fuel leak," she muttered. "He's gonna kill me if it's not fixed." Her eyes abruptly glowed an unnatural blue-green and the warning lights turned green one by one.

_"Uhhhn..._Didja get the number of that MS that hit me?" Duo groaned.

"Just in time, boy," she said smoothly. "You can help get your friend out of his gundam before Zechs gets my resignation."

"Your what? What are you talking about, lady? Who are you?"

"My name's Eiko Ryushi. Codename: the Pheonix."

Duo paled in shocked horror. "You're the Pheonix?" he squeaked. "But you're a girl!"

"Did I just stutter?" she asked, turning to face him with an exasperated look. "I'll explain later unless you want your friend to die or the both of you to be captured."

"Can I trust you?"

"I'm trusting you, aren't I? Look, if you don't trust me, just shoot me now."

Duo was startled when his gun floated to his hands.

"I'm ready to die if it means you and Heero will live. It might be better if you put me out of my misery. As powerful as I am, I can barely control it. Any of it. I'm lucky I'm still sane and not a babbling idiot in a mental institution."

He looked from his gun to her and back. She was serious, he could read it in her eyes. "Man, I hate these tough decisions," he complained. "I'm gonna go against my common sense again and trust you, though. Let's go get Heero."

She smiled faintly and stepped back to let him get back into his seat.

"So can you tell if he's alive, Eiko?"

She looked briefly startled. "Alive, but unconscious. YOU might not want to see what he looks like at the moment."

"Then you can get him."

She nodded and climbed from the Deathscythe's cockpit to the Wing ZERO's. It was a few minutes before she returned with Heero. As soon as Duo saw him, he felt slightly sick. The unconscious boy was covered with cuts and bruises. One arm was splinted with a spare antennae and both legs were splinted with thick sticks. Eiko had grabbed a First Aid kit, emergency rations, and the Wing ZERO's self-detonation device.

"We've gotta jet fast," she said. "OZ is not gonna be happy to lose me and Zechs has already discovered my double-cross. He's sending two keeps of Leos and a Taurus squad to either stop me or destroy me."

"And the fun continues," Duo said sarcastically. "Hurry up so we can get outta here."

She nodded and strapped the unconscious Heero into the spare seat, then stood behind Duo's seat. "Ready," she said shortly.

"Prepare for turbulence!" the braided pilot grinned, leaning over the controls. "There's nothing we can do for the ZERO, Eiko, so as soon as we're out of blast range, activate the ZERO's self-detonation."

Eiko was silent and to Duo's shock, Heero's gundam began to move.

"What the hell?" Duo gasped and looked over his shoulder at Eiko.

The girl's eyes were closed and a thin sheen of sweat covered her skin in intense concentration. Her hands were gripped tightly on the back of his seat. She was trembling slightly from great effort.

Duo turned back to stare, slack-jawed, as the Wing ZERO rose fluidly. "Oh my God..." he whispered in awe, glancing briefly at Eiko. "Heero wasn't kidding. Can...Are you sure you can handle it, Eiko?"

"Yeah," she grunted through gritted teeth. "Try not to distract me, okay? Now get going! It's hard to control it as it is!"

"Gotcha." Duo maneuvered his gundam into the air, not startled now to see the Wing ZERO following. "Just hang onto it as long as you can, Eiko!"

There was no response. Then Eiko's image appeared on the screen. "The Wing ZERO is fully operational now. Temporary pilot: Eiko Ryushi. Codename: Pheonix. Preparing to activate ZERO system."

"What the-? Eiko, no! You can't handle the ZERO system!" Duo yelled.

Her eyes flickered, then began glowing. "I was raised in a ZERO system," she said emotionlessly, sounding like Heero. Then she grinned. "Let's go! I don't wanna go back to OZ!"

"Sounds like a plan. I'm not even gonna ask how you got over there."

"Later. Lead on, Shinigami!"   


* * *

  
Id Kushrenada walked silently down the OZ' base hallway to Lieutenant Zechs' quarters, his long red hair flowing like fire down his back and his red eyes hard with slight fury. He disliked speaking with the masked man, but his father had ordered him to report all events concerning the Pheonix to Zechs. The young pilot knocked on the door.

"Come in," called Zechs' voice from inside.

Id opened the door and stepped inside. "Lieutenant Zechs, I have a report and a message from the Pheonix."

Zechs looked up in sudden fear at Id's voice. "Lord Id!" he said, jumping to his feet and bowing to the younger man. "I didn't know it was you. You have a message from the Pheonix?"

"Yes. She said to tell you she quits. She has joined the gundam pilots."

Zechs stared at him in shock.. "She what?"

Id nodded curtly. "Yes, Lieutenant Zechs. She used one of the gundams to destroy the rest of my platoon. She said to tell you she quits, and she helped the two gundam pilots escape."

"Could you identify the two gundams?"

"They were the Wing ZERO and the Deathscythe Hell, Lieutenant."

Zechs nodded curtly and turned to the door. "Thank you for reporting this to me, Lord Id."

"My father ordered it," Id said shortly, preceding Zechs out of the room.

Zechs walked to the control room. "Assemble as many keeps as possible of Leos, Aries, and Taurus suits immediately!" he barked at a nearby soldier.

"Yes, Lieutenant!" was the reply.

Id stood silently in the hall, looking out a window toward space. "Eiko..." he whispered, then turned and went to find his father to ask if the two special mobile suits were ready to be used.   


* * *

  
"Hey Eiko! We're almost back to base!" Duo announced. "how ya holding up?"

"Fine. How's Heero?" Eiko replied.

"Still out like a light."

"Good. You know, I know his name, but not yours."

"Really?" he asked in surprise. "Can't you read my mind?"

"I've tried twice, but both times I hit an instinctive shield. It's like hitting a brick wall at sixty miles an hour."

"Ouch. Wufei would say it's because I don't have a single thought in my head," Duo grinned. "Well, I'm Duo Maxwell. The Shinigami. Or Bakagami, as Heero and Wufei call me."

She was silent a second. "Did-Did you say Wufei?" she asked hesitantly. "As in Chang Wufei?"

"Yeah, why? Do you know him?"

She grinned wickedly. "Do I know that arrogant baka? Of course, I do. I'll explain later, though."

"Okay. Hey, what time is it?"

"One minute to 500 hours. Why?"

"I gotta radio in. Hang on." Duo opened the link to base. "Yo, Quatre! Mission accomplished and then some!"

"That's good to hear, Duo," the blonde pilot smiled.

"What do you mean 'and then some'?" Trowa asked.

"Our dynamic duo has become a terrific trio! Not only did we destroy the OZ base and get the info on the Pheonix, but Heero picked up a boatload of injuries and I picked up something better!"

"What? A girl?" Quatre teased.

"I've got the Pheonix." Duo grinned at their shock. "If it weren't for the Pheonix, Heero and I would be either dead or captured."

"Are you sure it's safe to trust him, Duo?" Quatre asked worriedly.

Duo tried not to laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure. Seeya when we get to base! Duo out." Duo grinned at Eiko's image on the screen. "They think the Pheonix is a guy!"

"So did you," she pointed out with a wry smile. "Let's go."

They arrived at base and docked the two gundams, closing the docking bay doors before exiting the gundams. Duo told Eiko to wait in the Wing ZERO's cockpit until his signal. She agreed with a giggle as he jumped down from the Deathscythe Hell's cockpit.

"Hey Quatre! Get some of those Maganacs to help me with Heero! I got him in the Deathscythe!"

"Then who's piloting the Wing ZERO?" Quatre asked, craning his neck around to look at Heero's gundam, but he couldn't see inside its cockpit.

Duo grinned mischievously and turned toward the white gundam, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Yo, Pheonix! Give them a face to go with your codename!" he yelled.

Trowa and Quatre looked at each other, then up at the cockpit. Needless to say, the were shocked when Eiko came out.

"Hello!" she called brightly as she hopped down. "I'm Eiko Ryushi, the Pheonix. I'm pleased to meet you." She bowed respectfully in greeting.

"You're the Pheonix?" Quatre gaped. "You don't look that dangerous..."

"Neither do you, Quatre," Trowa pointed out.

Quatre grinned shyly at the comment. "Yeah. Good point." He looked at the unconscious Heero as the Maganacs carried the injured pilot past and the blonde pilot shuddered involuntarily. "What happened to him?"

"Some damn fool Leo pilot did a kamikaze on him," Duo scowled. "The Wing ZERO is pretty bad, too."

"I don't see how it could have even functioned in its current state," Trowa murmured.

Duo frowned at the normally silent boy, then abruptly rounded on Eiko. "Stop that! You're freaking me out!"

She grinned sheepishly and put a hand behind her head. "Sorry, but after being with you, Mr. Brick-wall-for-a-mental-shield, it's like-"

"Okay, okay! I get the point! Just stop making Trowa a jabber jaw! It's not him!"

Quatre looked at them in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Eiko's a telepath. She was manipulating Trowa to make him talk." Duo glared a mock threat at her. "And don't start on Quatre, either!"

She shook her head. "Never. He's too sweet."

Quatre blushed as the others laughed.

"You're not going to warn her not to manipulate Heero and Wufei?" Trowa asked with a faint smile.

"Naw, I'm counting on her to keep them from trying to kill me."

"I'm more worried about Heero trying to kill ME," she replied with a grin. Then she grimaced. "I don't want to be a bother, but could I borrow some clothes? I don't want to wear this lab coat I borrowed forever."

"I think there's some clothes you can borrow, Miss Eiko," Quatre said shyly. "At least until you can get some more."

"Could you show me, please?"

The blonde pilot blinked. "Uh...sure. Come on."

"Thanks, Quatre."

"So what's your opinion of her, Trowa?" Duo asked after they'd gone. "I think she's nice enough."

"'Nice' doesn't equal 'trustworthy', Duo," Trowa replied quietly. "I don't trust her totally. She not only can use her powers to manipulate people, but she can also say just the right thing to people she can't mentally control to get them to do what she wants. I would suggest being careful what you say around her. For all we know, this could be an OZ trap."

"That's what I figured. That's where this little baby comes in!" Duo grinned as he held up a small metal box that had a small screen with a blinking light. "It'll tell us where she is at all times."

"But how can it stop her from contacting OZ mentally?"

"Eh, good point. I dunno."

"Then that's a chance we'll have to take at the moment."   


* * *

  
"Id!" squealed Mariemaia as her brother entered the room. She happily ran toward him and he picked her up, smiling at her.

"Hello, Mariemaia," he smiled. "Where's Father?"

"He's in there." Mariemaia pointed toward Treize Kushrenada's office. "Where's Miss Ryushi?"

Id didn't answer her, only walking to knock on the door of his father's office. Not waiting for an answer, he entered. "Father? I have unpleasant news."

Treize turned away from the window. "Oh? What is it, Id?"

"The Pheonix has defected OZ and joined the gundam pilots. I request permission to take one of the prototypes out to bring her back."

Treize frowned slightly. "Are you sure she defected and wasn't kidnapped?"

"I'm sure of it. At one point she was controlling one of the gundams and used it to destroy the rest of my platoon."

"Very well." Treize moved to sit at his desk. "But don't take your Leo or the new Aries prototypes. I have something _much_ better that has just been finished being repaired. A mobile suit was found several months ago in an abandoned colony. A very unique mobile suit, yet made from gundanium alloy." He picked up a stack of papers and a photograph and handed them to Id. "The files call it the Gundam Versago."

Id briefly glanced over the information on the gundam and his eyebrows lifted in surprise at one piece of information. "It has a ZERO system? Similar to..."

"The Wing ZERO and the Epyon. Yes. If you wish to use it, I'll have it delivered here at once. It will be yours, and yours alone."

Id looked at the picture of the gundam, then nodded curtly. "I'll take it."

Treize smiled. "Very well. Call in Lieutenant Zechs in and I'll have him retrieve it."

Id nodded. His very own gundam...He would teach those upstart pilots to regret ever crossing OZ!


	4. Enter the Pheonix

Pheonix Rising   
_by Ratha_

_Part Three:Enter the Pheonix_

Eiko gazed at the blue marble of earth through the base's windows, a slightly sad expression on her face. She sighed softly and leaned her forehead against the cool plasti-glass.

"Hey! Can someone hand me the three-quarters wrench?" Duo called from inside his gundam, trying to repair what Eiko hadn't had time to.

Eiko snorted and the said wrench floated from the toolbox on the ground to Duo's outstretched hand.

"Thanks, Eiko!"

She rolled her eyes as she heard some of the technicians working on the Wing Zero mumbling prayers or crossing themselves. _Silly human superstitions,_ she chuckled to herself. _We got that a lot when we were developing our powers, didn't we, Id?_ She smiled slightly as she thought of the only other person who'd known what it was like to be vastly different from other _normal_ people.   


* * *

  
_"WAAAH! I can't do it right!" Eiko wailed loudly as she dropped the heavy gunblade again. "Why do I have to learn how to use this stupid piece of junk?! My psi powers are ample enough weapons!"_

_"Quit whining," said a male voice nearby. "It's getting annoying."_

_"Ex_cuse_ me?" she said, spinning to face the speaker indignantly. She scowled when she saw a young man with red eyes, pale skin like a vampire's, and long red hair. "Who are _you_?" she sneered disdainfully. "Don't you know that I'm Eiko Ryushi, the Pheonix?"_

_He snorted. "I know who you are, Miss Ryushi. But you obviously don't know who I am." He smiled mirthlessly and bowed to her mockingly. "Id Kushrenada, son of Lord Treize Kushrenada."_

_Her eyes nearly bugged out-not at who he was, but at the immense power she sensed from him. "Holy shit! Your ki is..." She blinked and shook her head violently, then grinned brightly and held out her hand. "Pleased ta meetcha, Id! Is that your gunblade? What's it made out of? Are you training to be an OZ soldier, too?"_

_He stayed silent, arching an eyebrow at her._

_"Not very talkative, I see." She made exaggerated grimaces as she lifted the awkward gunblade she'd been trying to learn how to use. "Can you help me learn how to use this thing, please?"_

_"I don't think the gunblade is your specialty. You swing it like it's a katana. You should try learning that instead."_

_"Really? Cool." She dropped the gunblade and dashed over to a rack of swords to grab a katana. "But Lord Treize said I-"_

_"I'll tell him what I said. He'll agree."_

_"Thanks, Id! You're cool!"_

_He smiled slightly in response._   


* * *

  
"Hello! Earth to Eiko! Come in!" Duo waved his hand in front of Eiko's face.

She blinked and focused on him. "Hm? What?"

"Wufei's comin' in. Everyone not wearing a space suit's gotta leave the docking bay."

Her eyes lit up. "Wufei? Let's go!" She grabbed Duo by the wrist and dragged him out of the docking bay.

When the Gundam Shenlong was docked and the cockpit opened so Wufei could exit, Eiko was the first one there.

"WUFEI!" she squealed happily, tackling the startled pilot.

"What the-?! _Onna_, get off me!" Wufei tried to pry the girl off with little success. When she finally let go, he glared at her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

She grinned brightly. "Still haven't changed a bit, you male chauvinist! Didn't Cousin Meiran teach you anything, _Niichan_?"

He stared at her a moment. "Eiko?"

"In the flesh!" she chirped happily. She let out a shriek of laughter as he suddenly hugged her. "Ack! Try to warn me next time, _Niichan_!"

"Ehhh, what's going on?"

They looked up to see a very confused Duo watching them. Wufei blushed and tried to hide his face while Eiko fell backwards with laughter.

"I was Wufei's wife's cousin!" she explained. "We were like brother and sister when we were younger!" She grinned and put an arm around the embarrassed Wufei. "Weren't we, _Niichan_?"

Wufei mumbled something and didn't look up.

"Ah, lighten up, Wufei! The only one of you five I haven't totally embarrassed is Heero, and that's only because he's unconscious!" She yanked playfully on his ponytail.

Wufei scowled at her and jerked his hair out of her grasp. "Whatever. _Bakagami_, where's Quatre and Trowa?" he asked, looking up at Duo.

"Right here," Quatre replied as he and Trowa approached. "What do you have to report?"

"OZ has been very busy lately. They've just had two mobile suits transported to their main base. It's rumored one of them is another gundam. An old one from an abandoned colony."

"The Gundam Versago," Eiko said, suddenly serious. "Treize mentioned it when they first found it. He said he was saving it for his son, Id Kushrenada. If Id gets a hold of it, not even the Pheonix could stop him. The Versago has a ZERO system much like the Epyon's and the Wing ZERO's. Add that to Id's immense ki powers, and he's unbeatable. And if he manages to-" She stopped, eyes wide with sudden realization. "One of you guys has to take me back to earth to the Toshitada base. Now."

"What?!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"You're suicidal!"

She shook her head. "There's a gundam there. One especially designed for me. We have to get it before Id does. Once the Versago unites with that gundam, we're all doomed."

"That doesn't sound good," Duo grimaced. "I'd take ya, but the Deathscythe's navigational system's shot."

"Sandrock's still being repaired from my last mission," Quatre said.

"Nataku needs to be refueled _and_ repaired," Wufei added ruefully.

Eiko looked expectantly at Trowa.

Trowa sighed heavily. "I'll prep Heavyarms for launch. You'd better know what you're doing, Eiko."

"Gee, I'm stuck with Mr. Happy-face," she said sarcastically. "Don't worry. I know that base inside out. There's no way they could catch me again." _And if Id's there, I'll have to kill him. Please don't be there, Id!_   


* * *

  
Id walked across the catwalk to stand in front of the enormous gundam. It was a dull red, almost resembling the Gundam Epyon in design. He looked at it from all angles, then nodded shortly. "It will do," he said to the soldier standing behind him. "Where is the Gundam Pheonix?"

"The Toshitada base, sir," the soldier responded promptly.

Id nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. _Eiko knows of the Versago's abilities, namely its ability to unite with the Gundam Pheonix. So she'll be heading toward the base. And I'll be there waiting for her. _"Prepare the Versago for launch! I'm going to the Toshitada base at once!"

"Yes, sir!"   


* * *

  
Eiko sat silently in the seat behind Trowa as the Heavyarms moved toward the base. Neither had spoken since starting out.

"Why did you do it?" Trowa asked suddenly.

"Huh?" She looked at him blankly. "Do what?"

"Defect OZ and join us."

"Oh." She was silent a moment, then said quietly, "I didn't agree with their methods and ideals. OZ wants to use force and conquer the colonies and they don't care how many innocent people get caught in the crossfire. They want to exploit my powers to do just that. I'd rather use my powers to help people, not hurt them. Isn't that why you guys fight?"

He grunted. "We each have different reasons for fighting. But yes, that's basically the reason. You mentioned Id Kushrenada. I didn't know Treize had a son."

She was suddenly silent. When she spoke, it was with obvious reluctance. "Id Kushrenada is the son of Treize Kushrenada and Lady Une. Treize didn't know about Id until recently. That's all I'm gonna say until I get Id's permission."

"You know him?"

"Brilliant deduction, Holmes," she snapped sarcastically. "Now don't ask me anymore about him! I've got enough on my mind as it is! I don't need any more distractions, got it?"

He laughed softly and fell silent.

She sat back in her seat and closed her eyes, letting her memories take her back to another time...   


* * *

  
_"Strike harder! Don't be afraid to break a nail, Eiko!"_

_Eiko growled softly and leapt forward, swinging her katana furiously at the smirking red-haired man. "Damn you, Id! You're pissing me off!"_

_"That's the idea! If your enemy can do that to you, they've already won!" Id laughed as he dodged her attack, firing a ki blast at her._

_She shrieked and bolted as the blast chased her around the training room. "No fair! You know I can't deflect ki attacks! WAAAH!"_

_He snorted as he hovered a few feet above her. "Do you honestly think your enemies will always fight 'fair'? If you have an advantage, use it, no matter how dirty a trick it is. Now quit running and defend yourself!" He fired another ki blast at her from in front of her._

_She yelped, vanishing suddenly, and the two blasts collided._

_Id arched an eyebrow and looked around for her. "Well, you've learned a new trick, Eiko. You can teleport." He didn't even flinch when he was abruptly grabbed from behind and a katana blade was at his throat. He only smirked. "Congratulations, Eiko. You've finally gotten the better of me."_

_"You can't fool me this time," she hissed by his ear. "Last time something like this happened, you tricked me and beat me into the floor."_

_"Indeed," he smiled. "I've finally gotten through that thick head of yours and taught you something."_

_She snorted and dropped to the floor. "Some teacher."_

_He laughed and lowered to the floor. "I'm the best kind of teacher for someone of your caliber. We are the only two people who have the kind of power we do. Normal humans can't understand us and our powers. Only we can understand each other. Only I can understand the trouble you have, and vice versa. We need to stick together, then nothing can defeat OZ."_

_She scowled. "What makes you so sure OZ shouldn't be defeated? Is the success of OZ really worth all the innocent lives that have and will get destroyed? It makes me question its motives."_

_He put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's not get into that. Father granted me the privilege of training you to use your powers, and that's what the time in the training center is for. Let's not waste it. Now let's continue where we left off."_

_She nodded silently and lifted her katana. She liked the young soldier, and most of what he'd said was true. She smiled faintly. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she always looked forward to her training sessions with Id-_   


* * *

  
"Eiko?" Trowa's voice brought her back to the present. "We're almost there. Do you sense any enemies?"

Eiko "felt" around, then her eyes flew open. "Holy shit! Id's there! Dammit, why did he have to come?" She pounded her fist against the armrest in fury. "Shit! Trowa, stop here and drop me off."

"What? Are you crazy? You'll be captured!"

"No I won't. I was trained by the best how to sneak into and out of heavily guarded places. There's only one person who could catch me, and I know how to hide my ki from him. Now do it!" _But I can't hide my mind from Id. _"No need to open the cockpit, I'll teleport out. Seeya later." She abruptly vanished.

Trowa blinked. "Wow. Duo wasn't kidding."   


* * *

  
Eiko looked around the base from the shadows by the wall, eyes narrowed calculatingly as she searched for any unfamiliar gundams.

_Welcome back, Eiko._

She jumped at the mental voice and froze against the wall, eyes wide. _Id, why are you here? You know I'll have to kill you if we face each other again. And you know I don't wanna do that._

_I don't see how you could kill me, as I have the Versago and you have nothing._

_Wrongo. I've got the Heavyarms nearby._

_Oh really. That pilot won't dare face the "Devil God." In fact, he's already running from my last attack on him._

Her eyes flicked toward where the Heavyarms should be and saw the gundam-severely damaged-was retreating. "Shit." _You son of a bitch!_

_We already know what Une is._

_If you hurt Trowa, I'll-_

_Trowa, is it? You're on a first-name basis with them now? _Id's tone was dangerously soft and Eiko shivered in slight fear.

_Id, please just let him go. He's only a friend. Please!_ She finally spotted the dark shape of Id's new mobile suit and watched with mounting horror as the gundam turned slowly to go after the Heavyarms. _Id! Please don't! I-I'll come back to OZ. Just let him go, please!_

_Now that's more like it. _The Versago turned back to face her and a bright light illuminated her hiding place. _Mariemeia's been missing you. It would be a shame to disappoint my little sister, wouldn't it?_

Eiko bowed her head in defeat. "Forgive me, Id," she whispered and raised her head, her face completely blank. She raised a hand into the air, palm facing the Versago's cockpit. White energy glowed around her hand, then shot out in a brilliant beam straight toward the cockpit.

_What the hell are you doing?!_

_What I never wanted to do. Killing someone. _She teleported away just before an explosion rocked the area.   


* * *

  
Id lowered his arms cautiously. He wasn't dead? He looked at the screen and his eyes widened in shock. His red Leo suit was in pieces in front of him, totally destroyed. How had it gotten there?

_Id the Leo pilot and partner of the Pheonix is dead. Id the Versago pilot is no friend of the Pheonix. The next time we meet, we will be enemies._

He sat back in his seat, frowning thoughtfully at this turn of events.

Soft laughter filled the cockpit as he saw the irony of the situation. Once again, Eiko had gotten the best of him.   


* * *

  
Eiko leaned against the wall of the storage bay, sighing heavily. She hadn't wanted to do that. Id had worked so hard on that Leo suit, fixing it up the way he wanted it. But now he had the Versago and he was her enemy.

Something caught her attention and she looked up.

And up.

And up.

Towering above her was a magnificent mobile suit the color of flames. Enormous feather-like wings flared out behind it in yellow, orange, and red blended together. All in all, it resembled a female version of the Wing ZERO, only colored like fire. This was the Gundam Pheonix.

"Wow," she breathed in awe, eyes wide. Transfixed, she walked slowly toward the enormous mobile suit meant for her. It was...indescribable! She slowly placed a hand on one of the metal panels covering the feet of the gundam.

As if sensing her, the cockpit opened fluidly. She didn't hesitate. She leapt up to grab the cable dangling from the doorway and pulled herself up. She looked around the interior of the cockpit, then climbed into the seat. There were no screens or monitors of any kind. The door closed behind her, engulfing her in darkness. She was silent for a moment, then reached up to grasp the helmet and lowered it to her head. She closed her eyes and seemed to enter a comatose state.

_"Preparing to activate systems. All systems on."_ Her voice wasn't quite a mental voice, nor was it vocal. It was like she was speaking through the computer system.

Console lights lit up the cockpit and the giant machine began humming with power. Her eyes stayed closed, but she could see the readouts of the suit's running systems in her mind, thanks to the suit's ZERO system.

_"Holy shit, I can see without monitors or screens! It's all being transmitted directly into my brain! This is-is-damn! I can't describe it! This ZERO system is unlike anything I've ever seen! I-whoa!"_

The suit was reacting to her thoughts, moving fluidly like a living being and not a machine. It was like the machine was her body and she was only the brain. It was like she was the gundam itself. It gave her a feeling of...of...

Power. Undefeatable power.

_"No. Can't let it go to my head."_ The gundam shook its head in reaction to her thoughts and she grinned, trying not to laugh out loud. _"Now to take this baby out for a test flight!"_

She pulled out one of the two beam sabers and fired the thrusters, exploding up through the roof and out into the night air. She let out a wild yell at the thrill of the immense power rushing through her. She flared her wings to slow her upward flight and swiveled to face the Leos that dared attack her. Swinging the beam saber with deadly precision, she sliced the Leos in half before they even knew what hit them.

_"Hahah! Take that, OZ!"_ she hooted, then reacted to a new threat. The Versago was approaching fast. _"Not tonight, Id. I'm not in the mood to play with you right now,"_ she snarled at him.

_Eiko, calm down! You're letting the system control you! Don't let it control you!_

_"Shove it, Id! Get outta my way or die!"_

_Would you abandon your ideals just like that? By doing so, you become nothing more than that which you fight against._

She froze, his words sinking in. _"You're right. Now get out of my way before I kill you. Again."_

The two gundams stared each other down, then the Versago silently stepped aside.

_You win again, Eiko. But I will never give up._

_"Nor will I, Id. And next time I won't have Mariemeia in mind when I face you. Thank your lucky stars that you have a little sister to save your sorry ass."_ She turned and jetted away to find the Heavyarms and return to base. _"And don't follow me. Six gundams against one isn't the kind of odds you want to be in, if you're the one."_

Id was silent, watching her leave. _We _will _meet again and finish this, Pheonix._

She winced mentally at his use of her codename. Now they were officially enemies.


	5. Tension & Confessions

Pheonix Rising _Yay! It's April 15th! It's my birthday! Happy birthday to me! I just turned 19!_   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Pheonix Rising   
_by Ratha_

_Part Four:Tension & Confessions_

Eiko followed the faint signal from Trowa's gundam as she searched for the severely damaged machine. She felt a sense of urgency, not knowing how badly the other pilot was injured and how long she had before Trowa tried to self-destruct. 

_"Trowa, where are you?"_ she called, trying to get him to tell her his position. _"It's me, Eiko! Tell me your position!"_

No answer. Abruptly there was a burst of static over the audio-link. 

"-ko?" came Trowa's voice, sounding slightly hoarse and strained. "What the hell was that thing?" 

She knew he was referring to the Versago._ "That was the Gundam Versago, and Id Kushrenada was its pilot. I-I'm sorry for getting you involved in this battle between us, Trowa. I shouldn't have allowed you to go so close to the base knowing Id was there with his new gundam. Please accept my apology."_

Silence, then, "No, Eiko. My predicament was my fault. I saw the Versago and thought it was Zechs and the Epyon and I challenged Id. I was stupid and made a stupid mistake." 

_"You're only human, you know," _she said wryly. _"Even Heero makes mistakes. I've got my gundam, so I can get you back to base. Tell me your position."_

"All I can tell is I'm near the ocean. My navigational systems are down." 

_"I've got a lock on you now. I'll be there before you can say 'Wing ZERO' five times fast!"_

Trowa laughed softly, then his voice grew somber. "Eiko, the Versago's weaponry was a combination of Wing ZERO's and Shenlong's..." 

_"I know. Versago has many weapons-a megasonic gun, a beam saber, two strike claws, two claw beam cannons, and two head vulcans. I read the file for it when they first found it. I..."_ She trailed off as she caught sight of the Heavyarms. _"Oh my God...Trowa, how did you even survive with the damage you sustained?"_

"I'm a gundam pilot. We've been known to survive even self-detonation." 

_"Yeah, you guys are worse than weeds. Ya keep coming back no matter what."_ She was rewarded with another laugh._ "Well! You're certainly cheerful! Looks like Heero's not the only one who can make you laugh."_ She could almost see him smirk after letting out a derisive snort. 

"Whatever. Hurry up and pick me up so we can get out of here. I don't want to face Id when he finds us." 

_"He won't follow us. You have my word."_ Her tone was emotionless as she grabbed one of the Heavyarms' cannon arms and lifted into the air toward space. 

"You defeated him?" Trowa asked in disbelief. 

She hesitated. _"No. We didn't fight this time. But we will face each other again in the future. And only one of us will leave that battle alive."_ She fell silent. 

Neither spoke for the rest of the return voyage.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Father, I request permission to have full reign over any attempts to retrieve or destroy the Pheonix." Id stood before Treize' desk with a hard expression as he made his request. "I do not want any interference from other OZ soldiers." 

Treize turned his chair from the window to face his son. "That is a tall order, Id. Lieutenant Zechs is the one in charge of-" 

"Of the Pheonix project _only_, sir," Id interrupted harshly. "When Eiko defected, the project was automatically aborted. Now the gundam pilots have her." 

"Are you so sure? You forget the limitor that was installed-" 

"_NO_. I do _not_ want that ace to be used. I want a chance to face her in a _real_ battle. I want a chance to test the Versago against the other gundams, to explore its abilities to the fullest. I don't want Zechs to interfere, or anyone else. _I _want to be the one who crushes the rebellion," Id snapped, slamming his fist down on the desk. He leaned over it, hands resting on the desk as he faced his father. "I mean no disrespect to you, Father, but I _demand_ that this be granted to me." 

Treize looked at him silently, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If you were any cadet other than my son, I would have you severely punished for your impertinence to a superior. But as you aren't a cadet, I will grant your request, _Colonel_ Id," he finally said. 

It took Id a moment to realize that he'd just been promoted to second-in-command. He straightened up and stepped back, then bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Father. You will not regret your decision." 

Treize chuckled softly. "Just try not to get yourself killed, kid. Your sister would get very upset if that happened." 

Id smiled broadly and turned to leave his father's office. 

"One more thing. Mariemeia wants you to take her to an amusement park before your next mission. Could you wait on hunting down the Pheonix long enough to spend some time with your sister?" 

Id smiled and nodded. "Of course, Father. I'll be glad to."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
_"Yo, Duo! Get your sorry ass in gear and open the docking bay doors for us!"_ Eiko yelled over the comm-link. 

"What, back already?" Duo laughed. "I can't wait to-" 

_"Shut up and listen, dammit! Open the damn doors before the Heavyarms gets damaged any further!"_

The doors quickly opened and she flew inside, still holding onto the Heavyarms as she docked her gundam. The doors closed behind them and Eiko had to nearly rip the Heavyarms' door off so Trowa could get out. She was relieved to see that he'd sustained only minor injuries from his run-in with Id. Then she exited her own gundam, stumbling slightly as she had to get used to using her eyes again. 

"Damn..." she grinned after nearly falling into Duo, her eyes slightly unfocused. "Whatta rush! That suit's ZERO system is awesome!" She giggled giddily and sat down hard on the ground, then she abruptly shook her head violently and made an odd noise that made the boys laugh softly. "I'm fine now," she said with sudden composure. 

'That's the gundam designed for you?" Duo asked, craning his neck around to look up at the flame-colored gundam. 

"Yup, that's the Gundam Pheonix." She went on to explain what had happened to her and Trowa. 

Duo whistled softly. "Damn...Now we've got another enemy out for our heads." 

"What do you suggest we do, Eiko?" Quatre asked. 

She arched an eyebrow and grinned mischievously. Instantly all four boys felt worried at her look. "What do I think we should do?" she repeated slowly. "I think we should...GO**_ TO BED!!!!!_**" 

The four boys jumped and she fell backwards with laughter at the shocked surprise on their faces. Then they began laughing as well at the ingenious way that she'd gotten them. 

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm bushed!" Eiko said when she'd finally calmed down. "G'night, guys!" 

The five pilots went their separate ways to act on Eiko's suggestion of sleep, calling goodnight to each other with a camaraderie that hadn't been present before Eiko's arrival.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
A dark figure crept through the shadows of the gundam's base, moving with suspicious stealth toward sickbay. The figure entered and crept toward the unconscious form of Heero Yuy. A light sparked to life, revealing the figure to be none other than Eiko. She looked at the unconscious boy silently. Even in unconsciousness, his face was hard in a cold mask of indifference. She reached out a hand and carefully brushed his bangs away from his face. 

"What could have made you agree to J's training, Heero?" she whispered. "What happened to make you so cold and uncaring?" She placed her fingers against his temples and closed her eyes, trying to access his memories. She frowned as she saw a young girl and her dog, an exploding base, a Leo suit falling onto a building beside the base, and the lifeless body of the dog in the rain. Eiko jerked her hands away and looked at Heero in sudden understanding. "I see. You keep remembering that girl and feel responsible for her death. But it wasn't your fa-" 

She let out a startled scream as her wrist was suddenly held in an iron grip. 

Heero glared up at her with cold eyes. "What the hell were you doing?" he growled, gripping her wrist tighter as he sat up. 

She swallowed fearfully. "I was...trying to learn more about you. And attempting to heal your injuries. I shouldn't have meddled with your memories. _Gomen nasai, Heero-san._" 

He frowned at her. "I should kill you, Pheonix," he hissed. "You're too dangerous to be allowed to live. So why are you here?" 

She relaxed slightly, seeing he wasn't going to kill her right away. "Because I am colony-born. Why should I fight against them when I am part of them? I should be protecting them, not destroying them. Don't you think so?" 

He remained silent, then released her wrist. "I'll be keeping an eye on you, Pheonix. One wrong move or suspicious act, _omae o korosu_." 

She shrugged. "Join the club. Now I've got you _and_ OZ after my head. Oy vey. What am I, Miss Popularity? Well, good night, Heero." She turned and left the room. "And you're welcome for helping you." 

_"Arigatou."_

She faltered briefly, glancing back at Heero, who was ripping his IV lines out of his arms. Then she grinned wickedly as an idea occurred to her and she headed toward her room with a jaunty step.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Eiko hummed to herself as she worked on repairing the Wing ZERO's ZERO system. No one else was up yet, so she had time to work out the kinks in her plans for today. 

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing to my gundam?!" 

She stuck her head out of the cockpit and looked down at Heero. "I'm repairing the ZERO system, of course. I'm the only one in this base that knows how. Unless you don't want me to." 

The Wing's pilot scowled at her. "No one touches my gundam but me." 

She shrugged. _"Wakatta. Gomen nasai, Heero-san."_ She started to climb down from the cockpit. 

_"Matte."_

She paused and looked down at him in surprise. _"Nanda?"_

"How did Duo get both his gundam and my own back here from the base?" 

"I piloted your gundam," she said carefully. "After I blew up the base." 

He scowled darkly. "Fine. Just don't break anything." 

She watched him walk away, then she let out a huge sigh of relief. "I thought he was gonna kill me! Talk about a lucky break." She climbed back up to check the connections and the repairs. Satisfied, she climbed down and closed the cockpit, then went to the mess hall for breakfast. After she made a detour to the kitchen and Wufei's room.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Duo, Quatre, and Trowa looked up from their plates in surprise at a startled yell from Wufei's room. A moment later, Eiko came running in with a maniacal grin and a bucket. 

"EIKO! _OMAE O KOROSU_, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Wufei ran in after her, soaking wet and mad as hell. 

Eiko shrieked and ducked behind a startled Heero who'd just come in. "Eek! Save me!" 

"Hey, Wufei!" Duo grinned. "You're not supposed to take a shower in your clothes." 

"Shut up, Bakagami!" the angry Chinese boy snarled. 

"What happened, Wufei?" Trowa asked with a vague smile. 

"That little brat dumped a bucket of water on me!" Wufei snapped, pointing at Eiko. 

_"Moi?"_ she replied, looking innocent. "I would never do anything like that, _Niichan_! You must have done it yourself." 

"Why, you little-!" Wufei lunged at her. 

She shrieked again and bolted around the table, Wufei in hot pursuit. 

Heero frowned in confusion as he joined the other three pilots at the table. "What all did I miss while I was out?" 

"She's Wu-man's wife's cousin," Duo explained. He then gave his friend a recap of the last 48 hours. 

When Duo finished speaking, Heero looked expectantly at Trowa for confirmation. 

"She's proven to be a good pilot," Trowa said quietly. "I didn't trust her at first, but she doesn't have a single evil intent in her. She can be trusted. She'll be a great help with our new enemy." 

"New enemy?" Heero repeated. 

Eiko stopped so fast Wufei ran into her. "Id Kushrenada," she said emotionlessly. "The son of Treize. You've heard of the Gundam Versago?" 

Heero nodded. 

"That's Id's gundam. It has a ZERO system similar to Wing ZERO's and Epyon's. Id himself is a formidable foe, what with his high ki and and superior fighting abilities. Add that to the Versago, and the gundams are done for. _IF _I had stayed with OZ, that is." She suddenly grinned. "But on a lighter note, why don't we all take a day off to have some fun?" 

The five boys looked at each other in complete bafflement. "Fun?" 

She assumed a commanding maternal stance, hands on hips. "That settles it! You boys are taking a day off! No missions, no fighting OZ, nothing but relaxation and fun! Whether you think you need it or not, the six of us are going to an earth theme park! No arguments!" 

Duo grinned and saluted her. "Yessir!" 

The others rolled their eyes. 

"Looks like Bakagami's got a new friend," Heero muttered.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Oh look, Id! Bunnies!" Mariemeia pointed eagerly and dragged Id toward the rabbit cages. "Aren't they cute? I love that little white one with the red eyes!" 

Id smiled. "Yes, they are kind of cute. But not as cute as my little sister." 

She laughed and hugged his leg. "You're nice, Id! Can we go ride the merry-go-round now? Please?" 

"I thought you wanted some cotton candy." 

"Cotton candy! Let's go get some!" 

Id laughed as she dragged him down the midway. "Slow down, M & M!" 

A familiar voice stopped them. "Nice shot, _Niichan!_ You dunked Duo!" 

"Eiko?" Id turned to look and spotted Eiko's familiar black hair. 

"Miss Ryushi!" Mariemeia cried happily and ran toward Eiko. 

_"Nani?"_ Eiko turned in surprise only to get tackled by the younger girl. "M & M?" Eiko said in surprise, then looked up to see Id. "Uh oh. Um...Wufei? We gotta problem." 

"Hm?" Wufei turned around. "Who's the kid?" 

"Mariemeia Kushrenada," Eiko said quietly, eyes locked on Id. "And that's Id." 

Id scowled as he approached them. "Mariemeia, come here," he ordered sharply. When the girl had moved to his side, he glared at Eiko and Wufei. "Well, Pheonix," he spat angrily. "Who's your friend?" 

Eiko visibly bristled. "This is my cousin Meiran's husband, Chang Wufei. _Niichan,_ that is Id and Mariemeia Kushrenada, Treize' two children." 

"That's Id?" Heero asked as he and the other pilots came up behind them. 

_"Hai, Heero-san."_ Eiko looked slightly panicked. "Don't you dare, Id! Leave them out of this." 

Id sneered at her. ""I'm not interested in you right now, Pheonix. I have a score to settle with Chang." 

Wufei bristled silently. "What are you talking about?" 

"You attempted to assassinate my father." Id drew a sword and aimed it at Wufei. _"En garde."_

Wufei scowled. "I have no weapon to defend myself." 

Id smirked. "Easily fixed." He tossed the sword to Wufei, then pulled out his gunblade. 

Eiko looked ready to have a conniption. "That's not fair, Id! Your gunblade's made out of gundanium!" 

"Stay out of this, Pheonix!" Id snapped at her. 

"Id?" Mariemeia said softly, tugging at Id's pants leg. "You promised me cotton candy." 

Id scowled at Wufei a moment, then sighed. "Okay, 'Meia." 

Eiko sighed with relief and snatched the sword from Wufei. "Give me that! Id! Take your stupid sword and quit neglecting your little sister!" She practically threw the sword at Id. "Sorry, M & M, but I can't play with you today. Maybe later, okay?" 

"Okay!" the little girl chirped and dragged Id off. 

"She's cute," Duo commented blandly. "And she just saved your ass, Wu-man." 

"Don't call me 'Wu-man', Bakagami," Wufei snarled. 

"I see what you meant when you said Id was dangerous to us, Eiko," Trowa said softly. "His aura is dark." 

"He's scary," Quatre added with a shudder. 

"He's an arrogant pain-in-the-ass," Heero grunted. 

Eiko suddenly rounded on them angrily. "_Damarimas!_ All of you!" she snarled. "I don't want to hear another word about him! Not a single word! Got it?!" 

They all looked at her in shock at her outburst. 

"I came here to forget about my past for at least one day and it seems that I've failed miserably." She looked ready to burst into tears at any moment. She turned away from them abruptly. "_Gomen nasai, minna-chan._ I shouldn't have blown up at all of you like that. I-I need to be alone for a while." Without another word, she ran off and disappeared into the crowd. 

"Eiko...!" Wufei, Trowa, and Duo chorused in an attempt to call her back. 

"Eiko..." Quatre whispered, clutching at his chest. 

Heero looked at them silently, then looked in the direction the black-haired girl had gone, frowning slightly. Silently, he backed away from the other pilots, vanishing into the crowd.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Eiko sat silently at the base of a tree, knees pulled up to her chest, tears streaming down her emotionless face. She tensed at the soft tread of approaching feet and instantly identified Heero's aura. "Go away, _Heero-san_," she said dully. "Unless you plan to kill me right now, go right ahead. I hurt too much inside to stand living." 

"You sound like Quatre," Heero grunted from behind her. 

She sighed miserably and dropped her head onto her knees, not caring in the least when she heard him sitting beside her. "What do you want, Heero?" 

"How did you do it?" 

"_Nani?_ Do what?" She looked at him in confusion. 

"Pilot the Wing ZERO. Only Zechs and I have ever mastered the ZERO system." 

She smiled mirthlessly. "I was raised in one. Doctor J trained me in one until I turned twelve. Then when I turned thirteen, OZ kidnapped me and trained me to be their ultimate weapon. I didn't want to fight at first, to hurt innocent people, so they put a limitor in my neck to control me." She pulled her hair away from her neck to reveal a silver metal switch. "I had no choice after that. They made me watch as they destroyed my home colony, as they killed Cousin Meiran. I thought they'd killed _Niichan_, too, and I just...broke down. Then when you and Duo-kun came to attack the base, I sensed your thoughts about _Niichan's _mission at the time and I decided right then and there that I would get my revenge on OZ for Meiran's death and rejoin _Niichan_." 

"What happened during the three years before Operation: METEOR?" 

She sighed heavily. "Id trained me how to fight when Zechs wasn't training me to hone my powers. Id and I became close friends during that time. Now he feels that I've betrayed him by joining the 'enemy'. I don't blame him." She dropped her head onto her knees again and was silent. 

Heero looked at her silently and noticed her shoulders were shaking. Was she laughing? No, she was crying! But why? "Eiko? _Doushitano?_" When she didn't respond, he hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. "Eiko...?" 

If anything, her sobs were now audible, though she still didn't respond, even to his use of her name. Acting on instinct, he awkwardly pulled her close in a comforting hug. She openly sobbed into his chest, hands gripping his shirt tightly as she cried. He attempted to soothe her the way he'd once seen a mother soothing an upset child. 

"Eiko, please tell me what's wrong," he pleaded softly. 

"I think I've lost my _koi_ forever," she whimpered. "Id hates me now. He hates me for leaving him for you guys. He won't let me into his mind anymore. He only lets me see his hatred and betrayal and what he wants to do to you guys. I'm scared to let any of you near him. The five of you are like a bunch of _oniichans_ to me. I don't like the way Id's making me take sides and choose between either betraying you guys or him. Why can't he get along with everyone? Why is he doing this to me?" 

Heero stayed silent. He didn't know how to answer her, or even if he should. He hated indecision. It was dangerous and usually meant getting hurt or killed. Finally he sighed. "That's the price of doing what you feel is right. You usually end up doing it alone. Except you aren't alone, because you have Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and Duo doing it with you." 

She sat back to look up at him, wiping away her tears. "You don't just mean me," she stated bluntly. "You're talking about yourself, too." 

He nodded."_Hai, _Eiko. You have more in common with all of us than I'd first thought. Don't give up on Id yet, _Motochan_. Fate doesn't just throw missiles at us. Sometimes it throws candy. Now let's get back to the others and enjoy the rest of the day. Okay?" 

She smiled slightly and nodded. "_Arigatou, Heero-niichan._"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
__Author's notes: EEE! I'd planned to make this part a humor part, but it refused to let me make it humor. Gomen for Heero's OOC-ness, but don't you think it fits? ~Ratha~ 


	6. Rise of the Phoenix

Pheonix Rising

**Pheonix Rising**   
_by Ratha_

_Part Five:Rise of the Phoenix_

"CHARGE!!!" Eiko yelled as she aimed her bumper car at Heero and Trowa. She shrieked with laughter as the three cars collided with a resounding crash. "Yeah! Two hundred points for me! No where's that male chauvinist Wufei?" She shrieked again as she was hit from behind and was answered with Wufei's laughter. 

"That's for the impromptu shower this morning!" Wufei hooted. Then he was nearly thrown from his seat when Quatre rammed violently into him. "Quatre! Watch it! You can get whiplash doing that, you know!" 

The blonde pilot merely stuck his tongue out at him and began chasing Duo with a manic grin. 

Heero and Trowa then joined Eiko in ganging up on the protesting Wufei. 

"The Shinigami's to the rescue!" Duo rammed into Wufei just before the bumper cars shut down for the next set. 

"Who's rescue, Bakagami?" Wufei demanded indignantly. 

Duo looked at him innocently. "Why, Eiko's, of course!" Then he let out a yell and ran from the Chinese pilot who was threatening his precious braid. 

Eiko laughed and put her hands behind her head as she walked with Heero, Trowa, and Quatre down the midway. "I haven't had this much fun in years! You guys are a blast!" 

"Well, we've never had any kind of fun before you came along, Eiko," Quatre replied before the other two could. "Though I'm not sure about Duo..." 

"That Bakagami's always having fun," Heero snorted. 

"Ah, you're just jealous of him!" Eiko said loftily. "You and Wufei. That's why you two always make fun of him!" 

"What?!" Heero yelped in indignant shock, then whipped out his gun and aimed it at her forehead. _"Omae o korosu."_

She didn't even flinch. Abruptly she snatched the weapon from him. "Lay off, Heero! What is it with you and guns? If you _must_ carry a gun, use one of these." She handed the startled pilot a water gun. 

He looked at it silently, then promptly shot Trowa with it. 

Trowa sputtered indignantly while Quatre tried to muffle a laugh. Eiko didn't try to hide it and laughed loudly at the big grin on Heero's face and the furious look on Trowa's. 

"What's so funny?" Duo asked as he and Wufei returned with cotton candy for everyone. 

Heero's face was suddenly blank. "Remember all those times I threatened to kill you, Duo?" he asked quietly. 

Duo's eyes widened and he backed away. "Why?" he asked shakily. 

Heero abruptly whirled and shot Duo with the water gun. 

Duo fell backwards with a startled yelp and stared at him, jaw hanging in utter shock. 

Eiko sniggered at the stunned looks on both Duo and Wufei. Quatre was fighting futily not to laugh while Trowa openly grinned. 

Finally Duo found his voice. "You got my cotton candy wet!" he whined. 

Eiko shrieked with laughter as the guys face-vaulted. "If-if this keeps up...y-y-you guys are gon-gonna make me la-laugh to death!" she howled between laughs.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
__10 weeks later... 

_"Pheonix standing by, Heero,"_ Eiko reported quietly as the two gundams approached the OZ base from the east while Quatre and Trowa approached from the south and Wufei and Duo approached from the west. 

"Roger that," Heero grunted in response. 

_"Oi, Heero-niichan. No 'Heero'-ics,"_ she quipped and was rewarded with a soft laugh. 

"Gotcha, motochan. No self-destructing." 

_"Good, Heero! You're finally learning! I'm finally getting through that thick head of yours!"_

"Hn." 

_"Don't you 'Hn' me! I-Duo! Versago and Tallgeese at two o'clock!"_

"Thanks, babe!" crackled Duo's voice over the audio-link. 

_"Quatre, there's two keeps of Aries and Taurus on your tail!"_

"Thanks for the warning, Miss Eiko!" 

_"Heero! Look out!"_ She lunged forward and knocked the Wing ZERO out of the way of a powerful beam cannon that would have easily destroyed the powerful gundam. 

"Thanks, Eiko." Heero spun around and sliced through the cannon with his beam saber. "Damn OZ idiots." 

_"Guys, promise me you'll all come back in one piece,"_ Eiko said softly. 

"Of course, we will!" Duo chirped brightly as he sliced through the Leos that attacked him. "We always do! Don't we?" 

"_Baka_," Heero grunted. "Do you have a bad premonition about this battle, Eiko?" 

_"Not really. Just a vague feeling of wrongness about this. Like one of us isn't going to get back to base alive."_ She was silent for a moment, as were the others as they closed in on the base. 

"We'll promise to come back in one piece on one condition, Miss Eiko," Quatre said suddenly. 

_"What's that?"_

"That you promise to come back in one piece, too." 

"Yeah, babe! You gotta promise that, too! 

"Please, Eiko?" 

Yes, Eiko." 

"Promise us, Eiko." 

She smiled in happy surprise. _"Yakusoku, niichans. I promise."_

_How sweet. I'm getting cavities._

_"Id!" _She spun around to see the Versago swiftly approaching her gundam, beam saber blazing. She quickly held up her shield to block the attack. _"Damn you, Id! I don't have time for you now!"_

_Too bad. You'll have to make time! This time I _won't_ back down!_ He attacked again, bringing his saber down on her shield repeatedly, making her fall to one knee. 

She gritted her teeth and struggled to bring her own beam saber into play. But it was impossible to do so, the way he was attacking, so she deployed the "cat's claws", striking the other MS in the cockpit and throwing it back several hundred yards. Taking the opportunity, she whipped out her beam saber and stood ready. 

_"Very well, Id,"_ she said grimly._ "The final battle starts now."_

"Eiko!" one of the other gundam pilots shouted over the audio-link. "Eiko, don't-" 

_"This is my fight, guys! Stay out of it! This battle will be the last one!"_ She viciously turned off the audio-link and faced Id. _"Bring it on, Colonel Id. May the best warrior win."_

_I intend to._ Id lunged forward, saber held ready to attack. 

She met him halfway, the air crackling with the collision of their sabers. The two gundams leapt back to circle each other like battling lions, pilots waiting for an opening in each other's guard. 

Suddenly the Versago was hit hard by something from behind and Id spun around furiously. But there was nothing there. He was hit again and he whirled around to again find nothing. He saw the Pheonix standing silently off to the side as he was hit repeatedly by his invisible attacker. 

_Damn you! Come out and show yourself, you coward!_

_"But I am showing myself, Id," _Eiko's calm voice replied, her face appearing on his viewscreen, surrounded by unearthly swirls of color and light. 

His eyes widened in surprise. How was this possible? The Gundam Pheonix had no viewscreens! She didn't have the power to project her image like this! This was impossible! 

_"Impossible? Perhaps. But my psi powers are greatly amplified when I am hooked up to my gundam. My gundam is an extension of my body, it _is_ my body, and I am its brain."_ She smiled and the colors glowed brighter around her._ "I have reached a level that you never will. Your power is nothing compared to mine now. You and OZ can no longer touch me, or my friends. I have the power to destroy all of this universe with a thought. I _am_ the Ultimate Weapon, and I will destroy you if I must."_

Her image suddenly began to glow, becoming engulfed in flames before vanishing to reveal her gundam was engulfed in flames. Id's jaw dropped as the huge machine began to change, became purely flames. Everyone stopped to stare in awe at the flaming shape of an enormous fiery bird. 

"A phoenix..." someone breathed. 

The gigantic firebird threw back its head and let out a spine-tingling shriek, opening its flaming wings fully and flapping them. Waves of fire ran across the ground like burning horses as the phoenix lifted into the air. Blue-green eyes flashed as the bird circled overhead and surveyed the motionless MS below. Then it turned toward the base and opened its beak. Fiery red molten lava spewed out and engulfed the base, totally obliterating it. 

"Holy shit..." Duo whispered. 

The phoenix shrieked again and dove at the Versago. 

Suddenly... 

_EIKO! NO! DON'T DO IT!_ a mental voice cried loud enough for everyone on the battlefield to hear. 

The phoenix faltered and banked away from the frozen gundam. 

_That's enough! You've proven your point! Now calm down before you do something you'll regret!_

The phoenix hovered in midair for a moment, then the flames died away to reveal the Pheonix gundam. Then it silently began to fall limply to the ground. 

"EIKO!" six voices cried as the gundam landed hard on the ground and didn't move. 

Id spun to face the five younger pilots. "You get her out of here! I'll make sure my soldiers don't follow you! Hurry!" 

Heero and Trowa were the only ones that didn't hesitate as the Versago lunged at the stunned Tallgeese and Leos. 

"Is he on our side now?" Duo asked in confusion. 

"Yes," was the curt reply. "Zechs! Get out of here before I kill you! Tell my father I'm through with OZ!" 

"Then you are a traitor, Lord Id-" 

"Go to hell! All of you! I've had enough!" 

The battlefield suddenly exploded with white light and everything was silenced.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
__Hi, minna! I know how everyone hates cliffhangers-I know I do!-but I had to stop here because I want to save the rest of the good stuff until the next part. Stay tuned to see how the G-gang gets out of THIS mess! Please R&R! Ja ne, minna! 


	7. Resurrected Memories

Pheonix Rising _**Warning: Extreme angst and strangeness ahead! **I've seen Endless Waltz only once and I don't know the histories of the pilots too well, so I'm making up what I can with what I know. Please forgive me if I've gotten anything wrong._   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

****

Pheonix Rising   
__by Ratha 

_Part Six:Resurrected Memories_

_Memories never die, they only fade until you need them most. They can't be suppressed forever, they come back to haunt you at the most inopportune times. They have a life of their own, and they refuse to let your humanity be destroyed. You can never lose them, for they are always there, sleeping in the back of your mind for all time..._

**Whoa! Where are we? Did we die or something?** Duo's voice echoed strangely in the unearthly swirls of color and light. He looked around, then jumped with a startled yelp as someone unexpectedly appeared out of the mist. 

**Baka. It's only me,** Heero's voice growled. 

**That's why I yelled,** Duo replied impudently, sticking out his tongue at the other pilot. **Where are we?**

**I don't know. Where's Eiko?** Heero looked around and spotted Trowa and Quatre approaching, followed by Wufei. 

**You won't believe who we found,** Trowa commented, jerking his head toward two more figures behind them. 

Duo visibly bristled with anger. **Id and Zechs. What're you doing here?**

**Damned if we know,** Id spat back. 

**Calm down, you two. There's no use wasting energy trying to start a fight,** Trowa said calmly.** Fighting isn't allowed here.**

**How do you know?** Id and Duo demanded. 

**Because Eiko won't allow it. She's the one that brought us all here. To teach us a lesson, I assume.**

**A lesson in what? **Quatre asked. **Where is she?**

Trowa shrugged. 

_"Are you lost, mister?" asked a young girl's voice._

Heero gasped and spun around, eyes wide as he stared at the scene that was now visible. 

**Do you know her or something, Heero? **Duo asked. 

Heero didn't respond, only staring at the scene of himself laying on a grassy hill and looking up at a young girl with a puppy. **No...Not again...** he whispered. 

_"I'm not lost," Heero replied. "I'm just relaxing."_

**Heero relaxing? I didn't think he could.**

**Shut up, Bakagami.**

_"Oh. Do you like my puppy?" The girl picked up her puppy to show it to him, obviously proud of the wiggling drool factory._

_"It's cute." He sat up and awkwardly patted the puppy, who promptly tried to lick his face. "Real cute. Look, I gotta go, okay?"_

_"Okay! I gotta go, too. Bye!" The girl skipped off, her puppy scampering around her feet and barking happily._

The scene abruptly changed, showing Heero standing outside a mobile suit factory and holding a detonator. 

_Heero pressed the button and a series of explosions went off in and around the factory. One MS fell over, crashing into a nearby apartment building and destroying it. He blinked, then ran into the ruins of the building and searched through the rubble. Suddenly he paused, his face blank, then he bent down as snow began to fall. He straightened slowly and turned to reveal he was holding something and a single tear running down his cheek. He was holding the body of the little girl's puppy._

_"What have I done?" he whispered as he began walking with his head bowed, still holding the lifeless animal._

The scene faded and everyone turned to look at Heero. The Perfect Soldier was visibly shaken and there was a suspicious glimmer in his eyes. Wisely, no one spoke as they wondered whose memories were going to be shown next. 

_"Solo! Hang on! I've got the medicine!" cried a young boy's voice, close to tears._

Duo let out a small "eep" and began nervously fiddling with his braid. 

The scene showed a young brown-haired boy kneeling beside another boy who was obviously fatally ill. 

_"C'mon, Solo, don't die on me! I've got the medicine!" the brown-haired boy pleaded._

_The sick boy smiled weakly and coughed. "S-sorry, kid. Can't do that." He began coughing harshly._

_"Don't leave me, Solo!"_

_The ill boy snorted. "That's easy, idiot. I'll never leave you. You'll never be alone, 'cause I'll always be by your side." He smiled again, then he suddenly went limp in the other boy's arms._

_"Solo? Solo!"_

The scene shifted to show a church. 

_A nun stood in front of a group of raggedy-looking children, a kind smile on her face. "Hello, children. I am Sister Helen. Welcome to the Maxwell Church. Father Maxwell wants me to care for you orphans. Please tell me your names."_

_Several of the children eagerly told her their names, but one boy remained silent._

_"What is your name, little one?" Sister Helen asked kindly, bending down to to look into his eyes._

_The boy looked up, revealing himself to be the boy with Solo. "I'm Duo."_

**Gee, Duo. I didn't know you were an orphan...**

**Shut up, Quatre. You've got 29 sisters and I've got nuthin'.**

**You've got us and Eiko.**

**Do I? Just keep watching and you'll see why I'm the Shinigami.**

The scene shifted to show a group of rebels using the church as a base of operations. 

_"I'll get you the mobile suit if you'll just leave the church!" the young Duo said to the rebel leader, clutching his short braid with his desperation._

_The leader looked at him disdainfully. "Right, brat. Like you could really steal something as big as an MS."_

_"I can! Just watch me! I'll bring the MS back here tonight! Just promise that you'll leave the church when you get it!"_

_"Yeah, sure kid. If you can bring us an MS, we'll leave your little church."_

_Duo nodded and ran off, calling over his shoulder, "I'll be back, Sister Helen and Father Maxwell!"_

**I can't believe I was stupid enough to believe them, those lying bastards.**

_The young Duo struggled to drive the MS transport back to the church. He suddenly paled. "Noo! Those bastards!" He stopped the transport and scrambled out of the cab to stare at the destroyed church._

_The church was littered with the bodies of the other children and the church's inhabitants. Duo walked silently among the ruins in shock. A soft sound caught his attention and he spotted Sister Helen, who was still alive._

_"Sister Helen!" he cried, running to her side. "Sister Helen, what happened?"_

_"Th-the rebels bombed the church soon after you left," the nun whispered hoarsely. "They didn't think you would really be able to get the mobile suit. I'm so glad you survived, Duo..." Her eyes slowly closed and her hand went limp in his._

_Duo stared in shocked horror for a moment, then suddenly let out an anguished wail._

The scene shifted again to show a Duo slightly younger than the present one, wearing a priest's outfit and a solemn expression. 

_"Yeah, whatever, Professor G," Duo snorted. "I'll do whatever it takes to destroy OZ for the pain they've caused."_

_Professor G nodded slightly. "What is your name, boy?"_

_"Duo Maxwell, the Shinigami."_

_"God of Death? Interesting. Why do you call yourself that? Do you believe in God?"_

_Duo's eyes flashed. "No. If there was a God, He wouldn't've taken everything away from me. No, death follows me wherever I go, so I must be Death itself."_

_"I see. Then may I suggest a different tactic, young Shinigami? If you are Death, then it cannot claim you. Laugh in its face and hide your pain with that laughter. Then Death can never call its God home."_

The scene faded and everyone was silent. Duo was sitting down with his knees pulled up to his chest, arms resting on his knees, and his face was hidden in his arms. Quatre silently put a hand on the other boy's shoulder. 

**Well, now we know why Duo's messed up in the head.**

**Shut up, Wufei. I'm not in the mood. So who's Eiko gonna torture next?**

_"Is the Heavyarms ready yet Professor S?"_

The scene showed Professor S and a strange man standing in front of the Heavyarms. 

_"Almost, Trowa Barton. But Operation: METEOR isn't-"_

_The strange man cut him off. "I don't care what it is or isn't. My uncle funded the building of this gundam, so I will use it the way he wants it to be used."_

_"We can't allow that, Mr. Barton. Operation: METEOR's objectives have changed and-"_

_"Then I will have to inform my uncle of your refusal." He turned to leave._

_A shot rang out and the man collapsed, killed instantly. Professor S lowered the gun slowly._

_"We can't allow that, either."_

_The man standing behind Professor S looked up at the gundam. "How can we find another pilot for the Heavyarms in time for Operation: METEOR?"_

_"Perhaps I could be of assistance," said a familiar voice and a dark figure leapt down from the shadows of the gundam. "My name is Triton Bloom, I'm a former mercenary who's been working on this gundam with the other technicians, so I know the Heavyarms pretty well."_

_"Very well. You may pilot the gundam. Since Trowa Barton is dead, why don't you assume his name when you pilot Heavyarms?"_

_Triton nodded. "Then my name is Trowa Barton, pilot of the Heavyarms."_

**Triton? Your real name is _Triton_?**

**Well, you've recovered quickly, Duo.**

**So Catherine really is your sister, Trowa- er, I mean Triton?**

**Yes, Quatre. But keep calling me Trowa. It's the name I've gotten used to.**

The scene shifted to show Trowa inside the Heavyarms' cockpit, staring at the remains of a colony in shocked horror. 

_"Mother, Father...Catherine...I was too late." Trowa stared at the remains a moment longer, then all expression faded from his face. "OZ will pay. I will make them pay."_

The scene faded after a few moments of silence. 

**Hey! No fair! Trowa's is the shortest!**

**Shut up, Bakagami.**

**How come you haven't said anything, Zechs?** Duo demanded, rounding on the OZ soldier. 

Zechs looked silently at the braided pilot, his mask hiding his face. **I've got nothing to say, Maxwell.**

Duo blinked in surprise, then spun to Heero and Wufei. **Even Zechs doesn't call me Bakagami! So why do you two?**

**Eiko said they're jealous of you, Duo,** Trowa said with amusement. 

Heero and Wufei sputtered indignantly while Duo grinned goofily. 

_"Quatre! You're being disrespectful!" a man's voice yelled angrily. "You're not piloting that gundam ever again!"_

Quatre let out a startled cry. **Father!**

The scene showed Mr. Winner facing his son on their colony. 

_"I'm sorry, Father!" Quatre said with mild defiance, holding a computer disk. "But someone has to fight."_

_"Such arrogance! You're just a child! Think like the Winner heir!"_

_"He is thinking like the heir," a soft voice said as a young woman placed a hand on Quatre's shoulder._

_"Ilea..." Quatre said, looking up at her._

_"Quatre fights for the good of the colonies," Ilea continued._

_"Military force will not solve the problem," Mr. Winner snapped._

_"I never thought I'd get to pilot Sandrock by helping Instructor H," Quatre murmured._

_Mr. Winner turned to the window at the sound of shouting outside. "People are angry because I don't follow OZ. Looks like they've been fooled into protesting against me again."_

_The shouting could be plainly heard through the glass. "The Winners monopolize our resources!" "The Winners are the enemy of the colonies!_

_Mr. Winner turned back to his son. "But still, we're not fighting." He looked out the window again, then did a double-take. "What's that MS doing here?!"_

_Outside, a Leo suit was visible, aiming its weapon at the protestors. "I'm the Winners' guard!" the pilot said. "We will not be insulted anymore! Death to the protestors!" It fired its machine-gun at the crowd._

_"What?! It's firing at the civilians! I don't even know that MS!" Mr. Winner shouted as two Taurus suits appeared._

_Quatre stared in shock as he watched the Leo's pilot sneak out. "It's an OZ trap!" he cried as the Taurus fired their beam cannons at the mansion._

_"OZ set us up!" Mr. Winner shouted just before the mansion was hit._

_The house exploded with a loud boom, then everything was silent._

_Quatre groaned and stirred, pushing himself to his hands and knees. Blinking and shaking his head, he suddenly noticed Ilea. "Sister!" he cried upon seeing her fatally wounded._

_"I'm glad...I could protect my brother..." she croaked weakly. "We'll always...love you..." She let out a last shaky breath and was still._

_"ILEA!!" Quatre screamed, tears brimming in his eyes._

_"Force of arms...will not solve anything..." Mr. Winner's voice said weakly._

_"Father!" Quatre located his father trapped under slabs of stone._

_"It will only cause more problems..." Mr. Winner reached a hand toward Quatre. "Quatre...remember...you are...the Winner heir!" His hand fell to the ground._

_Quatre stared in shocked horror, then he let his head drop down to hide his face. "Ilea...Father..." he whispered brokenly. "OZ kills everyone who gets in the way...even civilians..." He fell silent and slowly stood, stumbling forward. He picked up the disk that had somehow survived the blast._

_Soft laughter filled the room, slowly growing louder as Quatre lifted his head to look at the disk. Tears streamed down his cheeks as a familiar maniacal expression crossed his face._

The scene faded with Quatre's laughter still echoing around the stunned pilots. 

**Eesh! You're even scarier than Heero, Quatre! Is that when you went crazy with the Wing ZERO?** Duo turned to the pilot of Sandrock questioningly. 

Quatre nodded silently, looking very shaken. 

**It's okay, Quatre,** Trowa said softly, putting an arm around the other boy's shoulders. **I'm sure Eiko has a reason for doing this.**

Wufei looked at Id and Zechs, who were looking extremely uncomfortable. **I think I know what she's doing. It's mainly for those two.** He jerked his thumb at the two OZ soldiers. 

**So who's next?** Duo asked. **There's only four left-Eiko, Wu-man, Vampire-boy, and Sucks.**

Heero muffled a laugh as the three "nicknamed" pilots angrily advanced on the braided pilot. **Leave him alone. He's always saying things like that. He's just an idiot with a death-wish.**

**Hey! You're not helping, Heero!** Duo yelled as he took refuge behind Trowa and Quatre. 

_"You weakling! Get your nose out of those books and fight!"_

Wufei let out a curse as the scene showed a library with a young Chinese woman standing in front of a chair, the occupant of which was obviously hiding his face behind a book. 

_"Did you hear me, Wufei?! Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" the woman snarled._

**Heh. Wufei was a bookworm.**

**Shut up, Bakagami!**

**Yeesh! Ya don't have to bite my head off! So is that Meiran, Wu-man?**

**Don't call me Wu-man, and yes, that was Meiran.**

**I thought so.**

_Letting out an exasperated sound, Meiran snatched the book from Wufei's hands. "I swear, I am going to burn all these blasted books of yours!" She tossed the book over her shoulder and glared at the silent Chinese man. "Now, are you going to fight with us or not?"_

_"No," Wufei said calmly. "Fighting won't stop OZ, or the Alliance. All it will accomplish will be the death of more innocent people."_

_Meiran scowled, but said nothing more, spinning on her heel and stalking away. "Suit yourself, you weakling! Just don't come crying to me when you get captured by the Alliance!"_

_"As if that would ever happen," Wufei muttered as he stood and went the opposite direction._

**I'm confused, Wu-man-**

**What else is new?**

**Ha ha. I thought you were the one who was always yelling about others being weak and you were strong and all that junk.**

**Shut up and use your brain for once.**

**Be nice to him, Wufei.**

The scene shifted to show the scene of a battlefield littered with bodies. 

_Wufei stared at the carnage in shock, then began frantically looking for someone or something among the dead. He stumbled over one body and landed beside the body of Meiran. His eyes widened as he stared._

_The Chinese woman stirred and opened her eyes, looking up at him. "Wu...fei..." she whispered hoarsely. She coughed up blood and let out a labored breath._

_Wufei got to his knees beside her, disbelief plain on his face. "This...this is impossible. The weak are supposed to be the ones to die, not the strong."_

_"I wasn't strong enough. But I died for my people. Does that finally prove I am the legendary Nataku?"_

_Wufei stayed silent for a long moment, then nodded slightly. He stayed by her side until her breathing stilled, then stood up, fists clenched and trembling at his sides with helpless fury._

The scene faded into silence. 

Wufei scowled darkly and crossed his arms. **Eiko had better have a damned good excuse for doing this,** he growled.** Or else I will severely berate that girl!**

**'Berate'? That's all, Wu-man? Heh. Looks like you're getting soft-**

**Shut up before I strangle you with that braid of yours!**

_"Father! Mother!" cried a boy's voice just before an explosion rocked the area and flames burst into existence. A young boy with long pale blonde hair stood on a clifftop above a burning kingdom. Shocked horror was visible on his face as he stared at the burning inferno below him. "Relena..." he whimpered, falling to his hands and knees, sobbing softly._

The scene suddenly shifted to focus on a familiar figure standing several yards behind the boy: Treize Kushrenada. 

_Treize watched the boy silently, a faint smile on his face. He didn't even turn as a soldier approached. "Were there any other survivors?" he asked the soldier quietly._

_"We couldn't find the girl, Relena Peacecraft, to imprison with the rest of the Peacecrafts," the soldier replied._

_"No matter," Treize smiled. "We have young Milliardo. Make sure he never finds out the truth about this. Understood?"_

_"Yes, Lord Treize."_

**Truth? **Zechs suddenly said.** What truth? What is he talking about?**

_Treize gave the boy's back a mock pitying look. "We wouldn't want him to know that it was OZ that destroyed the Sanc Kingdom, now would we?"_

The scene faded. 

**Who's Milliardo?** Duo asked in confusion. 

**That bastard,** Zechs growled with barely controlled fury. **So he's the one who destroyed my home! Damn him! I've been serving the murderer of my family!**

**Whoa. **Duo looked at Zechs in surprise. **I didn't think-**

**You _don't_ think. That's the problem.** Wufei glared at Duo, who returned it, much to Wufei's surprise. 

**Get off my back, China man!**

**I warned you to be nice to him, Wufei, **Trowa said calmly. **Now you've got Shinigami mad at you and not Duo.**

Id snorted. **Talk about your split personalities.**

_A baby's wail suddenly split the air._

**Aw shit,** Id groaned. **Damn you, Eiko.**

A rude noise overran the wailing. 

**And there's Eiko,** Heero chuckled. 

The scene showed a dim room, the center of which was lit up by a single light over a table, on which a baby kicked and wailed unhappily as the two shadowed figures ignored it. 

_"This brat is getting on my nerves!" a male voice growled. "Can't you get it to shut up, Lady?"_

_The other figure snorted. "Why should I? I don't want the brat. Take him to the orphanage or something. Just get him out of my sight."_

_The baby wailed louder and a faint glow surrounded him just before something smashed nearby._

_The two figures cursed in startled anger._

_"Dammit, I said get it out of here!" the woman snarled. "That thing is a menace! A freak! What NORMAL brat would have such pale skin and red eyes?"_

_The man chuckled darkly. "I know the perfect place for it. There's a secret lab that is conducting experiments with such...freaks...as this brat. It's for the Newtype Project. They would be ecstatic to get it."_

_"Whatever. Just get rid of it."_

_"Yes, Lady. As you wish. Lord Treize will never know of it."_

Id growled dangerously and the younger pilots edged away from him.** Dammit, Eiko! What game are you pulling? Is this another attempt to get the better of me? Answer me!**

Silence met his angry voice and the scene faded abruptly. Id let out a round of curses at the infuriating silence. 

**I've heard of that project, **Quatre said softly. **The Newtype Project. It was run by OZ. Then something happened and their funding was cut off and the project abandoned.**

**What happened?** Duo asked.

**I happened,** Id growled. Suddenly he seemed to deflate and let out a heavy sigh. **I was a prime candidate for the experiments to create a better soldier and to artificially bring about the newtype abilities. My pseudo newtype abilities were never cultivated enough to warrant any further funding, so the project was scrapped. But just before I was disposed of, Treize decided to adopt me, rather than let me be killed. Then that bitch Lady Une let slip that I was her son, which I had always known, thanks to Eiko. When Treize had my blood analyzed, he found out that I was his son as well.******

**Damn. Talk about a messed-up childhood,** Duo commented. **Just like the rest of us. But what's Eiko's point in showing us all this?******

As if in answer, the colors and light suddenly seemed to explode around the seven pilots, blinding them. When they could see again, they found themselves on one of the Colonies. As they watched, they suddenly noticed Leos all over the place, plus countless OZ soldiers armed with assault rifles. The soldiers were guarding a group of Colonist prisoners and herding them into transport shuttles.

"Get these prisoners moving!" a soldier shouted. "Make them an example to all those who oppose OZ!"

A familiar flash of black hair caught the watching pilots' attention and the spotted a young twelve-year-old girl among the prisoners.

**Eiko...Wufei** said in surprise.

The girl jerked as if she'd heard him and turned, but she was shoved into a shuttle by a soldier and the door closed for the shuttle to leave.

"Mama! Daddy!" her panicked voice wailed as the scene shifted.

Now they were inside a resource satellite, surrounded by slaves. The pilots immediately focused on a transit train and the familiar figure of Eiko, looking defeated. She seemed unaware of her surroundings until a disturbance attracted her attention.

"Work, you worthless piece of scum, WORK!" snarled an OZ slave driver as he beat a man who obviously couldn't work anymore.

Eiko stiffened and her eyes glowed their familiar blue-green glow that heralded the use of her powers. "Daddy..." she whispered, her eyes blazing with fury.

Then with a cry of fury, Eiko's powers exploded out of her, slamming into the slave driver and throwing him into an upright, stored emergency mining spade, killing him instantly. Her eyes still glowed with an unholy light and a reddish aura flickered like flames around her.

After a moment, the guards began firing at her. The bullets never touched her, yet she collapsed in a dead faint and the scene faded into darkness.

Then a vague, echoing voice broke the silence.

"I've never seen anything like this, Lord Treize. Her psychic powers are immense, unmatched by anything else in the known universe. She would be a great asset to OZ. But her memories of the 'peacekeeping' invasion could prove dangerous."

"Then erase her memories," Treize' voice responded. "And install a limitor to control her. Such power is too valuable to destroy."

"What about the girl's parents?"

"Kill them. We can't risk another telepath with that kind of power being created."

The light returned and the pilots now saw the Eiko they all knew, but she had an alien expression of coldness on her face.

"What is your name and rank?" Treize asked.

"Special OZ soldier 1934. Codename: the Pheonix," she responded curtly.

"And your history?"

"Raised in OZ and trained solely to fight."

"Who is your commanding officer?"

"Special Lieutenant Zechs Marquise."

Then for a brief second, a look of sadness crossed her face just before the scene faded.

Id blinked in shock.** I never knew the truth of what OZ and my father did,** he murmured. **Eiko was right. OZ' ideals aren't for the good of the Colonies or for peace.******

**That's what I've been trying to tell you for years, Id, **said Eiko's voice and she suddenly appeared in front of them. **I'm sorry for making all of you go through that, heaven knows it was hard on you before. But I had to show you the truth. I had to show you the true face of OZ. And it is not pretty.** She turned to face Id. **What is your decision?******

Id was silent a moment, then spoke quietly. **I can't let my father hurt any more innocent people. I will join you pilots against OZ.******

Eiko smiled and turned to Zechs. **Zechs Marquise-******

**My name is Milliardo Peacecraft,** he interrupted. **Zechs died in the battle with the phoenix. I will avenge my family and the destruction of the Sanc Kingdom.******

Eiko smiled and nodded. **Then I have proved my point and we can return.**   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
The eight gundams docked at the space base and the pilots exited their mobile suits.

"Id!" Eiko shrieked happily and tackled the red-haired man in a hug, kissing him enthusiastically.

The younger pilots laughed and began hooting and making catcalls, bursting into more laughter when the embarrassed man glared at them through an embarrassed blush.

A glare from Eiko made them shut up instantly. She smiled brightly and looped her arm through Id's, leaning her head on his shoulder. "So now there's eight gundams against OZ," she said. "OZ doesn't have a chance. Right?"

"Right!" was the unanimous response.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
__Whee! Part six is finally done! I was having so much trouble with this part because my muse abandoned me before I even got started on it. I swear, I am going to hurt that Trowa! How dare he sneak away when I wasn't looking! Now I'll have to go chase down another muse. Do you know how hard it is to catch a muse when you're as insane as me? The Z-gang's too fast to catch, the GW boys carry guns, Kaoru chases me away from her dojo, the Sailor senshi always go ballistic, and the Ronins and mashos hide where I can't get to them. :( Does anyone know where I can get a new muse? 


	8. OZ' Trump Card

_Author's Notes: Ohaiyo, minna! Sorry it took so long to update the fic, but my comp crashed and I lost half the fics I was working on. But not to worry! I still intend to finish this fic no matter what! I don't know when the next chapter will be ready, but I'll try to have it done as soon as I can._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
**Pheonix Rising**   
_by Ratha_

_Part Seven:OZ' Trump Card_

Duo peered over Id's shoulder, eating a sandwich and watching the older pilot typing on a laptop. "Whatcha doin'?" 

"Go away," Id replied, not looking at him. 

"Hmph. You're as friendly as Heero," Duo grumped. Then he grinned again. "Which means I have someone else to annoy." 

Angrily, Id spun around, fist aimed at the braided pilot's head. 

But after hanging around Heero and Wufei for so long, Duo easily evaded the blow, still grinning like an idiot. He laughed at the older man's startled expression. "Survival instinct. Gotta have it when hanging around Heero and Wu-man," he grinned. 

Id sighed and shook his head, turning back to his laptop. "You are impossible. Just like Eiko. Are you sure you're not related to her or something?" 

"Nah. I'm American. She's Chinese. I think. Her Japanese is pretty good, just as good as Heero's." Duo frowned and scratched his head thoughtfully. "Huh. Well that's weird." 

"What is?" 

"Whose voice was that that stopped Eiko from attacking you when she was the phoenix?" 

Id shrugged. "I've never heard it before. Only Eiko would know who it was." He scowled suddenly at the younger pilot. "What is this? I thought I told you to go away, and yet I'm talking to you like you're a friend." 

Duo looked at him innocently. "Well, aren't I?" 

Id looked at him blankly, then let out a frustrated growl and covered his face with one hand. "I swear, if you don't get out of here right now, I am going to kill you." 

Duo made a rude noise. "Heero says that all the time. The only time he's ever shot me was when Eiko gave him a water gun." He took a step back at the other pilot's glowing eyes. "Gotcha. I'm outta here." He retreated to the door, then paused. "Oh, one more thing. Be prepared for impromptu showers if Eiko decides to wake you up. She's gotten all of us except Quatre, you, and Ze- I mean Milliardo. _Ja ne!_" He waved cheerfully and ran off. 

Id snorted and turned back to his computer, only to be interrupted again. 

"Mr. Kushrenada?" Quatre's voice said hesitantly from the doorway. 

Id groaned and dropped his head onto the desk. "Can't a person get any privacy here?" 

Quatre smiled. "Not here. If you want privacy, you have to go to either heaven or hell. Idiots like Duo and Eiko seem to have an uncanny knack for finding the people they annoy the most no matter where they go." He paused. "But what I came to tell you was that Eiko has come back with someone who wants to see you." 

Id looked up in confusion, then his face lit up as a familiar voice cried "Id!" and Mariemeia ran into the room. He caught the girl in his arms and hugged her. "'Meia! What are you doing here?" 

The little girl smiled brightly. "I runned away! Daddy was so mad when you and Mr. Murky didn't come back and he yelled and screamed and scared Lady Ugh silly! I runned away when Daddy started yelling 'cause he scared me and I wanted to be with you and Miss Ryushi found me and took me here and Mr. Kitty was so nice and-" 

Id laughed and put a hand over his sister's mouth to stop her excited babble. "Take a breath, squirt! Now run that last name by me again?" 

"You mean Mr. Kitty?" she asked. 

Quatre blushed slightly as Eiko elbowed him in the side. 

"Kitty, eh?" the black-haired girl teased. "Murky, Ugh, and Kitty. Such is a small child's view of the stranger names: make them even stranger." She leaned against the door frame with a smile as she watched brother and sister conversing. "Maybe that'll get him to loosen up a bit more." 

Quatre began to back away, but was halted by Eiko grabbing his shirtsleeve. 

"Where's Zechs?" she asked quietly. 

"He's in the library. Why?" 

"I need to talk to him about something." Eiko left in search of Milliardo Peacecraft. 

He was where Quatre had said he was, sitting at the desk and looking through some large books. 

"Looking for clues of your sister's whereabouts?" Eiko asked quietly. 

The blonde-haired man started in surprise at the unexpected voice and looked up at her. "Why?" he asked quietly. 

She looked at him in confusion. "Why what?" 

"Why did you show me the truth of Treize' deception?" 

She shrugged. "Don't you think you deserved the truth, Milliardo?" 

He sighed and lowered his head. "I don't even deserve that name. I've killed so many people for the man who killed my family. I don't deserve to be a Peacecraft." 

She pulled up a chair to sit across from him. "Milliardo, look at me. Remember what you told Treize when you took the name of Zechs Marquise? You told him that Milliardo Peacecraft died in that fire with the rest of the Peacecraft family. In a sense, he did. But like the phoenix rises from the ashes of death, so can Milliardo Peacecraft. You told the other pilots that Zechs Marquise died in the battle with the phoenix. No one who is killed by a phoenix can come back. But those who have been wronged will _always_ come back, in some form or another. You can take the name of Milliardo Peacecraft again and avenge your family. _And_ the people Zechs killed." 

"But I've killed so many people," he protested. 

"That was Zechs that killed them. Not you. A Peacecraft would never kill anyone in cold blood. Zechs Marquise did. _You_ are Milliardo Peacecraft, _not_ Zechs Marquise. Can you accept that?" She captured his gaze until he silently nodded. "Then you can stop beating yourself up about it." She smiled at him as she stood up. "If you want information on Relena, talk to Heero. He's had several run-ins with her." 

He nodded again and murmured a soft "thank you" before she left.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Treize scowled darkly as he stood in front of the window in his office. "Any news of their whereabouts, Lady Une?" he asked the woman behind him curtly. 

"No, Lord Treize," Lady Une said quietly. "The soldiers haven't found a trace of Zechs, Id, or Mariemeia. It appears they've vanished completely. What are your orders, sir?" 

He was silent a moment, then his face hardened. "I think it's time to use our trump card. Have Control switch to plan B at once!" 

"Yes, my lord," Lady Une said with a bow and left to obey.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Eiko laughed and threw an arm around Heero's neck, giving the stoic pilot a noogie. "Lighten up, Soldier Boy! I told you no more guns in between missions! If you're so upset over not having a gun, you can have this one-" 

"Not the water gun again." 

"Why not? You get to shoot as much as you want and not have to worry about getting blood everywhere." She grinned at his irritated grunt and Duo's muffled laughter. "Ne, Duo-kun? Don't you think Heero-niichan would like a water gun better than a real one?" 

"Whoa, wait a minute, Eiko-chan! Leave me out of this!" Duo laughed. "I've been on Heero's bad side once too often today!" 

Eiko stuck her tongue out at him and grinned. "Spoilsport! You must be sick or something if you don't want to annoy Heero as much as possible..." She trailed off abruptly, her face going slack and her eyes becoming glassy as she slumped over like a toy robot that had just been switched off. 

Startled, Heero caught her as she fell. "Eiko? Eiko! Answer me!" 

She didn't respond, laying limp in his arms, her eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling. 

"Duo, go get Id and the others now! It looks like Treize has decided that since he can't have the Pheonix, no one can!" 


End file.
